BRUSSELS, Nov. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Amsterdam Tuesday on a two-day state visit to the Netherlands aimed at boosting cooperation with the country that is one of Russia's key trading partners.

    During the visit, the first state visit to the Netherlands by a Russian leader in 130 years, Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and meet with members of the Dutch royal family, the parliament and business community.

    Economic cooperation will be high on Putin's agenda as he starts the visit with a meeting with prominent Dutch businessmen at the Great Industrial Club in Amsterdam to discuss the expansion of economic ties.

    The Netherlands is Russia's second largest European trading partner after Germany. Russian statistics show that the trade turnover between the two countries was 16.6 billion US dollars last year.

    Putin will lay a wreath at the Dutch national monument to the victims of World War II at Amsterdam's central Dam Square. He will also visit the former residence of Russian czar Peter the Great, located in Zaandam.

    Putin will arrive in The Hague on Tuesday night to attend a state banquet in his honor.

    On Wednesday, he will meet with Dutch parliament members, Prime Minister Balkenende and members of the United Nations International Court of Justice.

    The visit will conclude with an official farewell ceremony hosted by Queen Beatrix at the Noordeinde Palace.

    At least three documents are to be signed during the visit, including the third Russia-Netherlands Joint Action Program for 2006-2007, a 2005-2008 Joint Plan for Cooperation in Education, and a memorandum of understanding between the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Itar-Tass reported.

    The joint action program, to be signed by foreign ministers of both countries, includes sections on political dialogue, economy, trade and finances, defence, social affairs, education and culture. The first such program was signed when Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands made a state visit to Russia in 2001.

    Moscow and The Hague are also working on a number of other cooperation documents concerning international automobile transportation and mutual protection of capital investments. Enditem